1st Time Guitar Build

[jugglindan]

Welcome Alex. While I have some thoughts on which tools I found essential and which less so, I am on my first build so more experienced hands here will likely have better advice (see my disclaimer ). So, disclaimer out of the way...

For the frets, the things I found most useful were the 12" radius sanding block and the crowning file. I bought a notched straight edge, and it was useful but I know that others have techniques for getting the neck straight without one. I would research that as an option since it's one of the more expensive tools that you will pretty much only use once per build. I also bought a fret rocker but could have lived without that as well. In a pinch you could always make something similar by buying a cheap metal straight edge at a hardware store and cutting it into pieces with a hacksaw. You just need several lengths that can cover a span of 3 frets at different parts of the fretboard. Or just go without.

[Simon Barden]

I bought a notched straight edge, and it was useful but I know that others have techniques for getting the neck straight without one.

There really isn't a reliable way of getting the neck (not the frets) level without a notched edge. You can get the neck level if the frets are already level, but if the frets aren't level, then you don't have a starting place to level them from. But they aren't expensive to buy, and you can make your own easily from a steel bar with a file (provided you know it has a straight edge). You only need to leave gaps for the frets to fit in, it doesn't need to be precise cutting. And the frets provide you with all the measuring out you need to know where to make the cuts!